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Student protestors Alfie Meadows and Zak King face a third trial for taking part in a demonstration on 9 December 2010 against the trebling of university tuition fees, the scrapping of the Educational Maintenance Allowance and other attacks on public education.

The protestors that day suffered ‘kettling’ (mass detention), charges by police horses and baton attacks. Alfie required emergency brain surgery after being struck by a police baton.

Like many others, Zak and Alfie were arrested and charged with serious public order offences. Some cases have resulted in prison sentences, including one of 12 months for a student for merely waving a placard stick. However, where students pleaded not guilty and described police brutality on the day, many cases have fallen apart.

Now, Alfie and Zak face a third trial on 11 February, probably at Woolwich Crown Court (where the previous trial was held), on charges of ‘violent disorder’ (maximum sentence: five years).

Their first trial, in March 2012, resulted in a hung jury and their second in October was aborted due to repeated delays. A demonstration is to be held outside the court on the first day of this new trial.